Traffic Offense in Washington County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Washington County, we compared 60 Traffic Offense cases with public defenders against 28 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
60 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
28 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 60 28 244
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 100.0% 100.0% 99.6%
Guilty Rate 90.0% 57.1% 41.0%
Adjudication Withheld 10.0% 42.9% 58.6%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.4%
Avg Sentence 4.4 months 18 days 1.7 months
Avg Fine $478.61 $413.60 $72.07
Avg Probation 1 year, 4 months 11.3 months 11.9 months

Important context: Correlation is not causation. Private attorney clients may differ from public defender clients in income, prior criminal history, charge severity, and willingness to go to trial. These factors independently affect outcomes. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Traffic Offense is 2.4% with public defenders and 3.6% with private attorneys (1.2 point difference). Washington County's 0.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Washington County 0.0% 0.0% 0.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.4% 3.6% +1.2 pts

Other Charges in Washington County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 172 0.0% 17 0.0%
Battery 123 0.8% 20 10.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Washington County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Traffic Offense compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 88 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Traffic Offense in Washington County is 100.0% with a public defender and 100.0% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 2.4% for public defenders and 3.6% for private attorneys. Washington County's difference of 0.0 points compares to a statewide difference of 1.2 points.

Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: March 2026

Important: Differences in outcomes between public defenders and private attorneys may reflect differences in case complexity, defendant resources, charge severity, and other factors — not solely attorney quality. These statistics do not predict individual case outcomes.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 88 cases analyzed · Washington County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026